Method for the manipulation of crimped yarns



Dec. 8, 1964 J. J. MERTENS METHOD FOR THE MANIPULATION 0F CRIMPED YARNS Filed March 16, 1962 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. JOHAN JACQUES MERTENS BY MM,M;M

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,159,9d2 METHSD FGR TIE MANIPULATEGN )F CREWED YARNS lohan I. Mertens, Arnhem, Netherlands, assignor to N.V. Onderzoehingsinstituut Research, Arnhem, Netherlands, a corporation of the Netherlands Filed Mar. 16, 1%2, Ser. No. 180,111 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Apr. 6, 1951, 263,278 3 Claims. (Cl. 28-76) This invention relates to the manufacture of crimped yarns such as carpet yarns from synthetic thermoplastic yarn, and includes, as Well, methods and apparatus for preventing kinking in the winding on or collection of the crimped yarns.

In the manufacture of crimped yarn from synthetic thermoplastic material such as is used in the preparation of carpet yarns, it has been the practice to impart curl or crimp to the yarn and to stabilize this by a heat treatment. Heretofore, in the manufacture of such crimped carpet yarns, it has been necessary to perform the heat stabilization of the crimped yarn by continuous methods Which are somewhat expensive.

On the other hand, efforts to accomplish the process by batch methods have been frustrated because of the formation of kinks and loops as the crimped yarn is withdrawn for collection from the vessel in which the heat stabilization is performed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome difliculties heretofore encountered in the manufacture of crimped thermoplastic yarns by resort to simple processes and equipment forming a part of the present invention.

According to the present invention, crimped yarn is distributed in a perforated roving can or container, and, after the roving can has been filled with yarn, steam is passed through the yarn body or Wad in the roving can. After this treatment is finished and the crimp has been set, the material is withdrawn from the vessel or roving can under novel conditions which prevent tangling.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic View of the distribution of crimped yarn in a collecting vessel such as a roving can; and

FIGURE 2 is a schematic view, partly in section, illustrating the withdrawal of the crimped yarn from the collection vessel or roving can under tangle-free conditions.

Referring now in a greater detail to FIGURE 1, the numeral 1 refers to a collecting vessel having a perforated cylindrical side wall and a perforated annular bottom wall, see perforations 4. This vessel or roving can is mounted on a revolving table which can be slowly rotated by means of a shaft 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow. Within the vessel 1 there is a hollow core 3 which is also perforated. A filament yarn 5 issuing from a stutter box assembly, not shown, falls vertically into a distributor tube 6. The distributor tube is articulated to a supporting member 7 so that it can move between positions 6a and 615. It is moved between these two positions by a connecting rod 9 which is pivotly connected at 8 to the tube 6 and at 10 to a crank pin keyed on a shaft ii. The effect of rotation of the shaft 11 is to rock the tube 6 back and forth. This, coupled with slow rotation of the vessel 1, which is brought about from shaft 2, results in an even, zig zag, distribution of the crimped yarn within the annular space provided in the vessel 1 between its perforated side wall and the perforated wall of the central core 3. In other words, the tube 6 is, in a sense, a traverse 3,159,9d2 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 mechanism, the distribution effect of which is modified by slow rotation of the vessel 1. When sufficient yarn has been collected in the vessel 1, the vessel and the yarn mass 12 within it are exposed to steam. The steam gains access to the crimped yarn through the perforations 4. This heats the yarn in the vessel and sets the crimp.

Once the crimp has been set, a layer of balls 13, see now FIGURE 2, is distributed loosely on top of the yarn mass 12. The balls measure from 16 to 18 millimeters in diameter. They are made of sintered aluminum oxide and have an unground dull surface. The height of the layer of balls measures 2 or 3 times the average diameter of a ball.

After the layer of balls 13 is deposited, a disc 14 and an annular cover 15 are put into position. These parts are readily removable. This disc 14 plugs into the top of central core 3 which is not as high as the side walls of the vessel 1 while cover 15 is supported on the rim of said vessel. The annular cover 15 is provided with a central circular withdrawal hole and the disc 14, by its edge, guidcsthe yarn leaving the body of balls 13. The yarn is drawn from the mass of yarn 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 2. It passes through the balls 13, along the outer rim of the disc 14, and along the inner rim of the annular cover 15. It is collected on a package 18 after passage through a three-bar drag device 16 and an eyelet 17. The bars 16 impart sufiicient tension to the yarn for winding. They are located 1 to 2 meters above the rim of the collection vessel ll.

By the arrangement of the present invention, not only istangling avoided, but this is achieved with winding speeds up to 2 to 3 hundred meters per minute. The balls 13 are found to be very eifective in preventing loops and kinks. Furthermore, they introduce no appreciable increase in yarn tension. The halls, nevertheless, have the eifect of keeping the body 12 of yarn from any movement such as wadding, i.e. bodily movement of the yarn body in the vessel 1.

The balls 13 should not be much bigger than 3 centimeters in diameter because if they are bigger than that, the spaces between them may be large enough to permit the formation of small loops. If the balls are below 1 centimeter in diameter, some of them have a tendency to fall into the mass of yarn only to be entrained thereby as the yarn leaves the vessel. While small metal tube sections can be used instead of balls, or for that matter so may a layer of river stones, best results have been achieved by the sintered aluminum oxide mentioned above.

The disc means 1 and the annular cover 15 completely prevent the entrainment of a ball by the yarn issuing from the vessel. This is because the yarn must change direction at the edge of the disc 14 and an entrained ball will not do this but instead will fall back on top of the yarn body.

An example, of the present invention, involves a collecting vessel 32 centimeters in diameter and 38 centimeters in height. ,In that vessel the core 3 measures 8 centimeters in diameter. The yarn mass 12 is 30 centimeters high after a certain amount of compression.

The product produced according to the present invention has uniformity superior to the crimped yarn heretofore produced.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for the manufacture of crimped yarn from thermoplastic yarn that comprises, imparting crimp to the yarn, forming the yarn so treated into an annular body by laying up the yarn in a radially reciprocating path on a rotating annular support, compressing the annular body, passing steam through the same to stabilize the crimp, loosely depositing a group of elements over the top of said body of yarn, thereafter withdrawing the yarn in the, reverse order in which it was laid up from the annular Z3 body through said group and collecting the same in package form.

2. A method for the manufacture of crimped yarn from thermoplastic yarn that comprises, imparting crimp to the yarn, forming the yarn so treated into an annular body by lying up'the yarn in a radially. reciprocating path on a rotating annular support, compressing the annular body, passing steam through the same to stabilize the crimp, loosely depositing a group of balls measuring 10-30 millimeters in diameter over the top of said body of yarn, thereafter withdrawing the yarn from the annular body in the reverse order in which it was laid up through said group and collecting the same in package form.

3. A method for the manufacture of crimped yarn from thermoplastic yarn that comprises, imparting crimp to the yarn, forming the yarn so treated into an annular body by laying up the yarn in a radially reciprocating path on a rotating annular support, compressing the annular.

body, passing steam through the same to stabilize the crimp, loosely depositing a group of aluminum oxide balls measuring 16-18 millimeters in diameter over the top of said body of yarn, thereafter withdrawing the yarn from 4 the annular body in the reverse order in which it was laid up through said group and collecting the same in package form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,415,238 2/47 Emerson 68-5 2,421,334 5/47 Kline et a1. 2872 2,421,336 5/47 Kline et a1. 2872 2,647,285 8/53 Pfan 28-72 2,707,806 5/55 Wilkie 19-66 2,758,357 8/56 Goodhue 28-1 3,011,327 12/61 Browncll 685 3,058,167 10/62 Rainard et a1. 281

FOREIGN PATENTS 821,179 9/59 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner. 

3. A METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CRIMPED YARN FROM THERMOPLASTIC YARN THAT COMPRISES, IMPARTING CRIMP TO THE YARN, FORMING THE YARN SO TREATED INTO AN ANNULAR BODY BY LAYING UP THE YARN IN A RADIALLY RECIPROCATING PATH ON A ROTATING ANNULAR SUPPORT, COMPRESSING THE ANNULAR BODY, PASSING STEAM THROUGH THE SAME TO STABILIZE THE CRIMP, LOOSELY DEPOSITING A GROUP OF ALUMINUM OXIDE BALLS MEASURING 16-18 MILLIMETERS IN DIAMETER OVER THE TOP OF SAID BODY OF YARN, THEREAFTER WITHDRAWING THE YARN FROM THE ANNULAR BODY IN THE REVERSE ORDER IN WHICH IT WAS LAID UP THROUGH SAID GROUP AND COLLECTING THE SAME IN PACKAGE FORM. 